Reinforcing means for articles of luggage



April 16, 1957 w. H. ARLITT, JR 2,788,871

' REINFORCING MEANS FOR ARTICLES CF LUGGAGE Filed Aug. 26, 1955 I 4.2 It36 Man]: 4-0 32 in a I 7.2 9- 7 I (L o E I o INVENTOR 7r7 WHflrZ iZ'Z,/

ATTORNEY 5 REINFORCING MEANS FOR ARTICLES OF LUGGAGE William H. Arlitt,Jr., San Antonio, Tex.

Application August 26, 1955, Serial No. 530,773

3 Claims. (Cl. 19049) This invention relates to reinforcing means forarticles of luggage, and more specifically, the invention pertains to areinforcing frame for the side and end walls of a suitcase. Moreespecially, this invention is directed to a reinforcing structureadapted for incorporation with the article of luggage disclosed in mycopending application, filed August 26, 1955, Serial No. 530,772, andentitled Luggage Construction.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide an endlessreinforcing frame adapted for connectiOn with the side and end walls ofan article of luggage as, for example, a suitcase, the frame beinginterfitted within the luggage or main body of the suitcase as well aswithin the lid or closure member therefor, the frame including cornerreinforcing elements.

Another object of this invention is to provide a multipiece endlesslight weight reinforcing frame or unit adapted for connection with theside and end walls of the luggage compartment and the lid or closuremember of a suitcase, the unit including reinforcing means for thecorners of the luggage compartment and the lid.

A further object of this invention is to provide an inexpensivereinforcing frame of the type described above, the frame beingnon-complex in construction and assembly, and durable in use.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a suitcasereinforcing frame comprising a plurality of identical interchangeablemembers which may be standardized to facilitate the assembly thereof andwhereby any part thereof receiving damage and requiring repair may bequickly and easily replaced.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome more apparent from the following specification when read inconjunction with the annexed drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a suitcase together withthe reinforcing means therefor constructed in accordance with thisinvention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail cross-sectional view taken on thevertical plane of line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of thearrows.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the spring bracket corner reinforcingmeans.

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the spring bracket means shownin Figure 3.

Referring now more specifically to the drawing, reference numeral 19designates, in general, a suitcase or other article of luggageconstructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.As illustrated in Figure 1, the suitcase is seen to comprise of aluggage compartment 12 and a lid or closure member 14. The compartment12 and the closure member 14 are formed of relatively stiff fibrous orother suitable material of the type referred to in my above mentionedcopending patent application.

It is to be understood that the article of luggage comprises a pair ofoppositely disposed spaced and substantially parallel side walls 16 anda pair of spaced subif nited States PatentfO stantially parallel endwalls 18 connected at their respective adjacent ends by arcuately-shapedcorner walls 20.

The lid or closure member 14 of the luggage article 10 is seen tocomprise similar spaced and substantially parallel side walls 22 and apair of spaced substantially parallel end walls 24. The adjacent ends ofthe side and end walls are connected by arcuate corner walls 26.

The reinforcing frame to which the present invention pertains comprisesa pair of oppositely disposed spaced and substantially parallel sideframe members 28 which are positioned adjacent the side walls 16proximate the open end of the luggage compartment 12. The side framemembers 28 have a substantially rectangular configuration and areidentical to the end frame members 30 which are positioned on the endwalls 18 adjacent the open end of the luggage compartment 12. All of thereinforcing frame members for the luggage compartment are disposed onthe inner sides of their respective adjacent walls.

Referring to Figures 1 and 3 of the drawing, it is seen that theadjacent ends of the side and end frame mem-v bers are secured to thelaterally offset ends 32 of the leaf spring member 34. The leaf springmember 34 is provided with a bight portion 36 having integrally formedlaterally extending flanges 38 which are joined integrally with one ofthe ends of the offset ends 32 of the leaf spring 34. The offset ends 32are apertured at 40 to serve a function to be described.

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawing, it is seen that the offsetends 32 of the leaf spring 34 are engaged against the exposed sides ofthe reinforcing side and end frame members 28 and 30, respectively, withthe ends of the side and end frame members abutting against the flanges38 of the leaf spring 34. The leaf spring 34 is then flexed to assumethe arcuate configuration illustrated at reference numeral 36A and isdisposed within the arcuately-shaped corners 20. Obviously the leafspring 34 will tend to normally urge the side and end frame members 28and 30 out of perpendicular relation. The end portions 32 are connectedwith the side and end frame members 28, 30 as by rivets 42 which extendthrough the apertures 40 and suitable openings 44 formed in the side andend frame members. The assembled frame is retained in position by meansof a plurality of rivets 46. The construction of the reinforcing framefor the lid or closure member 14 is identical to the reinforcing framedescribed above. Consequently, to avoid needless iteration of thisconstruction, component elements of the reinforcing frame for the lid orclosure member 14 have been ascribed the same reference numerals to theelements which have a counterpart in the reinforcing frame for theluggage compartment 12, the reference numerals for the lid or closuremember being distinguished therefrom through the addition of a primemark.

The lid or closure member 14 in hingedly connected to the luggagecompartment 12 by the conventional hinges 48.

Having described and illustrated one embodiment of this invention indetail, it will be understood that the same is offered merely by way ofexample, and that the invention is to be limited only by the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A reinforcing frame for the luggage compartment of a suitcase orother similar article having side and end walls disposed in asubstantially rectangular configuration, a substantially rigid lightweight side frame member fixedly secured to each of said side walls,said side frame members being disposed in spaced confronting relationrelative to each other and each of said side frame members terminatingat a point proximate to but spaced Patented Apr. 16, .1957,

3 from the corners of said compartment adjacent each of their respectiveends, a substantially rigid light Weight end frame inem fixedly securedto each of said end walls, said frame members being disposed in spacedconfronting iatien relative to each other and said end frame membersterminating at a point proximate to but spaced from the corners of saidcompartment adjacent each cf their respective ends, and resilientmetallic plate means disposed .vrthin each of said corners, saidresilient means being connected with the adjacent ends of said side andend frame members and ncrmally urgin" said side and end walls out ofperpendicular relation.

2. A reinforcing f1 for the luggage compartment of a suitcase or othersimilar article having side and end Walls disposed in sn stantia'llyrectangular configura- 'tion, a substantially i gid light Weight sideframe member fixedly secured to each of said side Walls, said sideflfli'fi fldfij"3br3f5 being disposed in spaced confronting relation 1",ivc to other and each of said side frame members terminating at a pointproximate to but spaced from the c s of said ccmpartment adjacent eachof their respect e ends, a sit stantially rigid light Weight end framemember fixedly secured to each of said end walls, said end frame membersbeing disposed in spaced ccnfror' relatien relative to each other andsaid end frame members terminating at a point proximate to but spacedfrom the corners of said compartment adjacent each of theirrespectiveends, and an arcuately-shaped leaf spring or ed Within each ofsaid corners, said leaf springs each having their respective endsconnected with the adjacent ends of said side and end frame members,each of said leaf springs constantly tending to urge the adjacentportions of said side and end Walls out of perpendicular relation.

3. A reinforcing frame for the luggage compartment of a suitcase orother similar article having side and end wails disposed in asubstantially rectangular configuratien, a substantially rigid iightWeight side frame member fixedly secured to each of said side Walls,said side frame members being disposed in spaced confronting relationrelative to each other and each of said side frame members terminatingat a point proximate to but spaced from the corners of said compartmentadjacent each of their res ective ends, a substantially rigid lightWeight end frame member fixedly secured to each of said end Walls, saidend rame members being dispcsed in spaced cenfronting relation relativeto each other and said end frame members terminating at a pointproximate to but spaced from the corners of said ccmpartmcnt adjacenteach of their respective ends, and an arcuately-shapeds ieaf springdisposed Within each of said corners and havan offset bracket at eachend thereof, said arcuatelyshaped leaf'spring constantiy tending to urgethe adjacent portions of said'side and end Walls out of perpendicularrelation and having the offset bracket ends fixedly secured to theadjacent ends of said side and end frame members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS474,563 Moore May 10, 1892 2,335,950 Lynam Dec. 7, 1943 2,348,436'Medoff May 9, 1944

